


is it too late to say

by Dreamy_Ideal



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Childhood Friends, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:54:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25425712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamy_Ideal/pseuds/Dreamy_Ideal
Summary: Kyungsoo and Yixing hide away from a party
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay
Comments: 11
Kudos: 26





	is it too late to say

**Author's Note:**

> for alphaxingsoo, who sent me a prompt for childhood friend confessions.

“How are you hiding at your own party?”

Kyungsoo barely glanced over his shoulder at him. He looked back at whatever he was occupied with before Yixing walked in, his phone probably. “Just like this. Keeping tabs on me Zhang?”

Yixing pulled the door of the walk in closet behind him, closing it as far as it would go without smashing his fingers. “No tabs. I needed a break too.”

Kyungsoo turned around to face him. His tie was loosened, several buttons on his shirt undone. The sight made Yixing feel a little bad for Kyungsoo. Only a few hours into the event and he was already worn out. “When I said okay to a party I didn’t think they were going to invite everyone they’ve ever met.”

“Yea, it’s packed down there.” Kyungsoo’s family home was huge but Yixing somehow still found himself with barely enough space to work his way from one room into another without accidentally walking into an ongoing conversation and getting himself roped into it. One minute he was looking to get himself a drink and the next minute it was several hours later and he had yet to get to the bar and his drink. But somehow among all those people Yixing had yet to see a truly familiar face. “Have you seen anyone from school yet?”

“No.”

“What’s a welcome home party without them?”

Kyungsoo walked to the empty wall at the back of his closet and sat down. “It’s not.”

Yixing sank down to the floor beside him. As he stared at Kyungsoo’s old clothes hanging on the opposite wall of the closet, nostalgia hit him. Kyungsoo was right, it wasn’t a welcome home party, it was a business party. It was so identical to the parties of their youth it even included Yixing and Kyungsoo’s escape from the uninteresting festivities to Kyungsoo’s closet, the place where they thought they wouldn’t be caught while they tried to entertain themselves until the night was over. All they were missing was a gameboy and a bag of chips.

“It’s not,” Yixing agreed, looking at him. “Everyone seems happy that you’re home though, like they missed you.” Kyungsoo gave a disbelieving hum. 

“It’s an excuse for a party.”

“I missed you,” Yixing said. That got the same disbelieving hum. Yixing didn’t blame him. They had been in, what was for them, consistent contact since Kyungsoo moved away for university almost a decade ago. There was no chance for Yixing to really miss Kyungsoo. And yet there was Yixing, missing him the whole time anyway. He shifted so he could dig into his pocket. “I did. I’ve got proof. I’m here with a gift.”

The speed at which Kyungsoo held out his hand made Yixing laugh as he pressed the key into it. “That is the spare key to my place, where there is a futon with your name on it. Until you find your own apartment.” Yixing knew without Kyungsoo saying it that staying with his parents would drive him to pulling his hair out within a matter of days, no matter how much he loved them. 

After what could only be described as a dramatic pause Kyungsoo met his eyes. “This is the best gift I’ve ever had.”

“I know.” 

Yixing leaned his head against the back of the wall. Nostalgia hit him again. The music playing from downstairs, just loud enough to be heard but not clearly, reminded Yixing of the times just before they hit their teens where they would waltz about the closet like the adults they saw at the much fancier parties they were occasionally forced to go to. Then when they were older Yixing made up a song to sing to the melody, doing his best to make Kyungsoo laugh as much as he could to the ridiculous lyrics. Yixing was pretty sure that if he could remember one of those songs they would still knock Kyungsoo out with laughter, even as a nearly 30-year-old.

“What’s the smile for?”

Yixing shook his head. “Nothing. Just that we’ve known each other a long time.”

“Yea.”

“And we’re old as fuck.”

Kyungsoo snorted. “Speak for yourself.”

“Do you still have your gameboy?”

“It’s around here somewhere. Maybe the changer will still be with it.”

Kyungsoo got on his hands and knees, crawling away from him. Yixing leaned over to give his ass a good slap and then rolled onto his side to avoid the kick he expected to come his way. Before he could get back up Yixing got a hard, unforgiving pinch to his ass. 

Once the pain subsided Yixing sat up, looking at Kyungsoo with a frown that was just a little bit genuine. “Mine slap didn’t hurt that much.”

Kyungsoo didn’t respond to his complaint. He had an open shoe box in his lap and a piece of paper in his hand. The way it quickly grabbed Kyungsoo’s full attention sparked Yixing’s curiosity. “What is it?”

Kyungsoo looked at him, brows raised up high. He then, wordlessly, handed Yixing the piece of paper.

_Kyungsoo,_

_I love you._

Yixing gave an exaggerated gasp. “You got a love letter?” Of course Kyungsoo got a love letter. There was no obvious indication of when he got it, but Kyungsoo got a fair share of interest through most of middle school and high school. No one seemed brave enough to actually approach him though. He wondered if Kyungsoo mentioned it to him at the time and he just forgot about it. “Awww, from Chanyeol right, he--” He skipped the likely cringe worthy contents of the letter to look at the signature.

He then quickly turned to look wide eyed at Kyungsoo, who was holding a small black box with a black ribbon tied around it. Kyungsoo shook it. “What is this?” 

Yixing was very aware of the many times he blinked after he heard the question. “Huh? You don’t know?”

“This is my first time seeing it,” Kyungsoo said as he pulled the ribbon off. 

Yixing lowered his eyes back to the letter. _Keep my heart with you…_

Carefully Yixing folded the paper to cover the words. The memory of the letter came back to him almost at once, so he didn’t need to look at it to get the full effect of his teenage cheesiness. 

Kyungsoo was holding the silver bracelet when Yixing looked back at him. Yixing rubbed a hand over his mouth. “So you really never got it?”

“Not until just now.” Kyungsoo looked at him, his poker face holding strong. “Why didn’t you ask about it when I never brought it up?”

Because writing the letter took enough strength that he couldn’t put himself through following up on it. “I thought you didn’t know how to reject me so we were just going to ignore it.”

“Why didn’t you give it to me?”

“I think I tried but left it with your games because I thought you would take them.” He probably chickened out during Kyungsoo’s high school graduation party. Yixing pressed his hands over his face. Then he laughed. “I was an idiot, why didn’t I mail them to you?”

“So you being weird that first summer I came home makes sense now.” Which was the summer that Kyungsoo brought his college boyfriend home. 

“Was I weird?” He was still romantically getting over Kyungsoo and tried his hardest not to let any jealousy show.

“You were weird.”

Yixing slumped over, staring at the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling of Kyungsoo’s closet. He hated that the years old embarrassment made his stomach churn, even if he did see the humor in all of it. 

The silence was making him tense. Yixing wanted Kyungsoo to start making fun of him now so he could relax and make fun of himself with him. “I would have rejected you then, if it means anything.”

Yixing didn’t know what it meant, if anything at all. He couldn’t say if he would have taken the rejection in stride and they would have still been best friends or if he would have been embarrassed and scorn and cut contact with him. It didn’t make him think of his teenage self as justified for being cowardly with his emotions. It didn’t make him think any differently of Kyungsoo right at that moment. It was what it was.

“I wouldn’t reject you now.”

Upon hearing that Yixing pushed himself up. Kyungsoo was attempting to put on the bracelet. “Huh?”

“I love you. Which is funny because...us when we were younger? No. Wouldn’t even consider it. But lately it’s all I think about. How much I’m in love with you.”

Momentarily overwhelmed, Yixing narrowed his attention to the bracelet that Kyungsoo was still failing to get onto his wrist. When the latch slipped from his finger again Yixing reached out for the jewelry and Kyungsoo held out his wrist.

“I don’t know what to say,” he finally managed. The bracelet’s latch battled against him, refused to hold still long enough for Yixing to get the hook in. He was aware how his hands shook. There were questions he could ask, but Yixing wasn’t sure he wanted the details of when and how long yet. “I…”

“You don’t have to know now,” Kyungsoo cut him off. “Tell me when you do, if you do. Or you can ignore it for a decade, that would be fair.” 

Yixing sighed in relief. “Thanks.”

Kyungsoo looked at the bracelet once it was securely on. Yixing turned to look at the closet door, pulling a knee to his chest. The silence steadily became more relaxed.

“Do you believe me?” Yixing spoke after a little while. He was aware that the amount of time that they could be away from the party before Kyungsoo’s absence was noted was running out.

“That you don’t know? Yea, I figured you wouldn’t.”

“No, that I really missed you.”

Kyungsoo’s soft, unguarded smile was a balm for his heart. Yixing told him as much in that letter and it had yet to change.

They stood up. Kyungsoo pulled his tie off completely and began doing up the buttons of his shirt. “Can I still stay at your place? I’m ready to crash.”

Yixing nodded. “But I feel kind of weird asking for breakfast in bed as rent now.”

“No, if you want an omelette on your face when you wake up I’m happy to give it to you.” 

“Give my key back.”

**Author's Note:**

> [twitter](http://www.twitter.com/xingofhearts)
> 
> feel free to tell me if you think they'll get together or let it go


End file.
